Where would you rank Gareth Bale in terms of the world’s best footballers? How does his time with Real Madrid compare to his earlier years with Tottenham and Southampton?
His price tag dictates he is definitely in that bracket, and he is there on merit. However, he will fall short in comparisons with the world’s best until he has the opportunity to perform at a major international tournament. Playing with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo in a positive Real Madrid team has certainly brought the best out of his attacking talent, and while his ability has improved with his confidence as he has shown his full potential in recent years, he has also now physically unrecognizable to the player that left Southampton for Tottenham back in 2007. The difference between Gareth Bale and the likes of Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is that he did struggle in his earlier years, and was almost written off at Tottenham when he suffered a poor start to his career in London. However, Ronaldo and Messi have been consistently brilliant. Now that he is settled in Madrid, and with a solid preseason behind him, I would expect even better season from Bale this year, and if he can add international success to his growing list of achievements then he will continue to be mentioned in the same breath as the best players in the world.
What is it going to take to have Wales qualify for the Euros or the World Cup in the future?
It will take our best players to be regularly available. As well as Gareth Bale, players like Aaron Ramsey of Arsenal, Joe Allen of Liverpool and even experienced goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey will be crucial. When manager Chris Coleman can name his first choice eleven then Wales can be match for anyone on their day, but a lack of strength in depth has cost us dearly in previous campaigns. However, there is another string of talented young players emerging from the intermediate ranks, and there is more cover and competition for places in the squad than ever before. The margins of international football are fine though, and it will take some good fortune to turn the current confidence and optimism into success.
The European Championship qualifiers for 2016 start in September, and with 24 of the 54 competing nations qualifying, there is a real belief between the team and the Welsh football public that the long wait for qualification may finally be over.
Who are the favorites to win the Welsh Premier League this season? What teams are expected to struggle?
The New Saints are clear favorites to once again to lift the league title at the end of the season. The only full-time team in the league, they have strengthened in the summer with the signing of former Wrexham favorite Adrian Cieslewicz and will prove to be far too strong for most teams in the league. However, Airbus UK Broughton are closing the gap, but they are the only realistic challengers. Both clubs put in impressive performances in Europe this summer too, although both were eventually eliminated in the opening rounds.
The early season results suggest that promoted Cefn Druids will find it hard on their return to the league, although Carmarthen Town have lost a number of players during the summer, and Prestatyn Town may also find it difficult having only avoided relegation last season due to the fact that only one team was eligible for promotion.
Who is a player from the Welsh Premier League that could make an impact elsewhere?
There are more and more talented players emerging each season, but the two that stood out last year were Chris Venables of Aberystwyth Town and Sam Finley of The New Saints. Venables finished as the league’s top goalscorer with 24 goals, the first time a midfielder has won the Golden Boot. A talented playmaker, his style suggests he could easily adapt to playing professional football. It is a similar story for Sam Finley in midfield for The New Saints. Already coveted by a number of professional clubs in England, he showed his worth with a couple of excellent performances for the club against Slovan Bratislava in the UEFA Champions League during the summer, and seems set to make the move to England before the end of the season.
Which Welsh team has the best chance of making a splash in European competition in the future?
The New Saints are the most likely to make an impact as they are the only full-time professional club in the Welsh Premier League. In addition, in managers Craig Harrison and Carl Darlington, they have two head figures who know how to set their team up in Europe. Over the last few years the club have regularly competed in the UEFA Champions League and have put in some excellent performances against clubs with far bigger budgets. This summer Polish giants Legia Warsaw beat Celtic 6-1 on aggregate, last summer The New Saints lost 3-1 on aggregate to the same opponents. It was a similar story this season against Slovan Bratislava, with the Welsh champions only one goal away from taking the tie to extra time until late in the 2nd leg. Reaching the group stages of either the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League will obviously be a huge challenge, but once one Welsh Premier League club achieves this feat, the league will benefit for a number of years to come.
What is the state of the women’s game in Wales?
There has been significant progress over the last four years, and it has now reached a crucial stage. A big decision was made in 2010 when the Football Association of Wales appointed Finnish coach Jarmo Matikainen as the full-time manager of the Wales women’s national team as well as the Under-19 and Under-17 teams. During that time the professionalism of the three teams has improved significantly and there is now a clear pathway in place for player development through the intermediate teams. Also during this time, the Women’s Welsh Premier League has been formed, and Wales successfully hosted the UEFA Under-19 Women’s Championship finals in 2013. Last year a strategic plan was put in place to develop women’s football in Wales over the course of the next ten years, and a number of initiatives to achieve the aims published in this blueprint are currently being implemented. However, Matikainen is now on the verge of leaving his position, and it is vital that the right appointment of his successor is made in order to carry on the excellent work and solid foundations that he has laid during his tenure.
What do you expect from Swansea City and Cardiff City this season?
Swansea City have had a great start to the new season under Garry Monk, and while they have lost a few players during the summer, they have also recruited well and actually look stronger on paper than ever before. However, questions will still be asked over the inexperienced Monk, and a dip in form will show his true management credentials as he struggled to reverse a concerning slide at the end of last season. The club will back him due to his close connections as a player over the course of the last decade, but that may be to the clubs detriment in such an unforgiving division as the Premier League.
Meanwhile, one guarantee with Cardiff City is that there will be entertainment on the field, and drama off it. Owner Vincent Tan remains as controversial as ever, while the attacking options available to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer suggest that there will be plenty of goals to come from his side. Questions still remain over their defensive qualities, but they will be looking to book at the very least a place in the Championship playoffs, while automatic promotion back to the Premier League is also a viable proposition.
Who is an up-and-coming player in the Welsh national team system?
As I mentioned earlier, there are a number of players coming through the ranks of the intermediate teams, and they are starting to establish themselves in Chris Coleman’s senior squad. Tom Lawrence of Manchester United and George Williams of Fulham are players that are being regularly spoken about in positive ways, but the real jewel looks set to be midfielder Emyr Huws.
On-loan at Wigan Athletic from Manchester City, the West Wales youngster is turning heads on a regular basis for both club and country, and already appears destined to have a big influence on Wales’ Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.
Mark Pitman is the Welsh football correspondent for UEFA.com and also writes for a number of websites, blogs, magazines and programmes. Visit www.markpitman1.com for a full archive or follow him on Twitter @markpitman1 and @UEFAcomMPitman.
